Kaua‘i police officers honored as Employees of the Month for their outstanding work

Kaua‘i Police Department honored Employees of the Month Officer Branden Barroga for his exemplary service in March and Officer James Gause Jr. for notable achievements throughout the past year.

Both were recognized during the June 26 Kaua‘i Police Commission meeting for their outstanding police work and engagement within the community.

Officer Branden Barroga

Barroga was commended for outstanding performance and proactive policing efforts, responding to an impressive 179 calls for service and making 29 arrests in March.

This work also resulted in a total of 32 charges filed.

Notably, his enforcement activity included the successful execution of multiple high-risk warrants totaling $50,000.

When a case involving persistent phone and online harassment presented itself to the department, Barroga demonstrated initiative and investigative skills for which Kaua‘i Police Department is known, proactively preparing multiple search warrants for digital records, which led to the successful identification of a suspect.

Barroga’s commitment to community policing, reducing criminal activity and protecting the public is to be commended.

Officer James Gause Jr.

Gause was honored for his community engagement through a new Lunch With a Cop program at several Kaua‘i schools. It allows Kaua‘i Police Department officers to spend quality time with elementary students during lunch break and is aimed at breaking down barriers and fostering positive relationships between youth and law enforcement.

He coordinated of Lunch with a Cop at Kekaha, ‘Ele’ele and Kōloa elementary schools.

Each event was extremely successful, with Kaua‘i Police Department officers encouraging students to ask questions in a relaxed and open setting. The program is expected to expand around the island because of Gause’s leadership.

“Community engagement encompasses effective and fair policing, as well as collaborating with Kaua‘i’s youth to cultivate the next generation of law enforcement officers,” said Kaua‘i Police Chief Rudy Tai as he expressed pride in the department’s Employees of the Month in a department release about the honors. “I am extremely proud of Officers Barroga and Gause for their efforts, and I hold them up as examples of excellent performance within [Kaua‘i Police Department].”